Passion-Based Learning is not my first blog. There are “predecessors”.

You see, my affair with this mighty creature we call the blogosphere began about two years ago. So far, it has been the most valuable educational experience I have ever had. If one word can describe it, it would be immense.

  • Immense learning.
  • Immense passion.
  • Immense discussions.
  • Immense discoveries.
  • Immense fun.

There is so much I can talk about but I’m going to try and sum it up in seven points, seven enormously beneficial things blogging did for me.

The 7 Great Benefits, Exposed

1. Reduced Fear of Sharing My Words With Others:

I’ve always liked writing stuff and saving them aside somewhere whether on scribbled notes or in a digital format. Thing is, I thought of them as something private, only meant for my own eyes. After all, it’s not like I was writing an essay for a school assignment or something of that sort. This was a different kind of writing, one which is more personal and straight from the heart.

“Dry” writing isn’t very interesting but one crafted with passion, openness and enthusiasm resonates strongly with readers. Sharing that kind of writing was a huge challenge at the start. I was not comfortable putting myself “out there”. It felt too personal to share and therein was the contradiction.

The blogosphere is primarily about social interactions and personal connections, and if you don’t infuse your personality into your writing then it won’t be captivating. Forming relationships involves social interactions first, a process which in itself requires the person to open up and become more personal as time progresses.

After a while I realized I was only hurting myself with being afraid and so little by little the fear vanished. Today, I’m at ease and more than happy to share my words with everyone. At the end of the day, those words are mine, they came from me, they are me and I chose to throw away the curtains.

Further reading:

…

2. Helped Me Find My Voice:

Blogging allows you to “archive” your brain and then go back and see how it evolved. More importantly though, through debates and non-stop discussions, it helps you find your voice.

Having stances and believing in something is pretty much just like having a voice. It provides you with a foundation on which you can build your arguments and opinions. Of course that doesn’t mean being rigid, because with time as you learn more and gain deeper insights into the topics you’re busily exploring, your “voice” evolves.

3. Improved My Writing Skills:

By the time I began blogging, my English was already good. In fact, I scored a surprising ‘A’ for my high school English O’Levels exam. My writing however was very mediocre.

Writing is not just about grammar and a rich vocabulary. It’s about expression and that’s what I sucked at. I had the ideas but I just couldn’t seem to put them into proper expressive words. Getting that perfect blend was never easy. It was hardly the way I wanted it to be - poetic and philosophical.

Blogging did wonders. Thanks to it, I’ve written something almost everyday for a continuous period of two years. I actually wrote the equivalent of a one thousand pages book. Yaay!

Unlike in school where you write because you’re forced to write, when you blog you feel the need to write better because you’re doing something that is self-directed. You’re sharing ideas and you realize that if they’re not well written, they won’t be well understood. It is precisely this reason that creates such a strong incentive to improve expressiveness and writing skills.

4. Allowed Me to Discover More Specific Interests:

Before stumbling upon the blogosphere, I had a good idea about what my interests and passions were but blogging allowed me to fit the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle much more intricately and tightly.

The discovery of specific interests has been super cool because my researches are now essentially two inches wide and one mile deep. Best of all, they’re heavily interrelated and overlapping.

5. Helped Me Become Very Internet-Savvy:

This one is certainly a nice benefit. I often struggle with friends to explain to them topics like what RSS is, how it works and how they can use it. I know how difficult it can be for newbies to get it. I used to be one.

Blogging changed that. I’m very internet-savvy now and I would never dream of being at this level if I didn’t start blogging.

It can be hard to grasp how those “technical thingies” on the internet mash and work together especially if there is no strong incentive. But again, many of us blog because we have opinions to share and that in itself creates a solid incentive for us to understand the technicality of the internet and how the available tools can make blogging a better experience.

Before I knew it, I was already using tools that enriched my blogging and boosted my learning productivity. I didn’t even know that what I did actually had a name. Apparently, I formed something called a personal learning environment.

I didn’t bother about what it’s called. I just loved the fact that I wasn’t internet, or more specifically Web 2.0 illiterate anymore.

Further reading:

…

6. Sent Me to International Conferences:

This one was totally unexpected but through blogging I managed to form great personal relationships with many other bloggers. Little did I know that some folks far away were observing us and our discussions. Who knew? They thought some of us would make suitable guests at their conferences and so the invitations arrived. Next thing I know, I’m traveling the world, attending international conferences and meeting super great people.

Oh and the expenses? Fully paid for.

An added benefit is that you don’t have to just go for the conference itself and leave immediately after it finishes. You can ask the organizers to change your flight bookings so that before the conference begins or after it ends, you can visit friends staying in the same country where the conference is held and chill with them for a whole week or even three.

That’s what I did when I went for a conference in the United States last year. I had a lovely time meeting family and friends.

(In case you’re wondering, all pictures are courtesy of Mike Licht, NotionsCapital)

7. Handed Me Career Opportunities:

Number 7 is the ultimate inevitable benefit (besides personal development of course).

  • My improved writing skills meant better cover letters and written communication.
  • Being internet-savvy meant I had more to bring to the table.
  • Attending international conferences meant a more impressive background.

Keep in mind that at the time of writing this, I am still in my final semester of university but thanks to blogging I have already managed to attract career opportunities, and not just any kind, no, I’m talking about ones I can be very excited and deeply passionate about.

What has blogging done for you?

If you liked this post, please Stumble it, or consider subscribing to my RSS feed, I’d heartily appreciate it. :)